With the rise of hybrid and electric cars, advances in battery technology have become increasingly important and so it is pleasing to hear of new companies whose products have promising properties. Such is the case with Planar Energy Devices which has just signed a licensing deal with Policell Technologies Inc. that will enable the company to incorporate a nano-tech-derived separator film in its large format PowerBlade lithium ion battery. The separator film in a battery separates the anode (where the current enters) and cathode (where the current exits) and this one has some special qualities that prevents thermal runaway which could result in a battery fire. The spec sheet (PDF) for the PowerBlade has some pretty impressive numbers including 220Wh/kg of energy density. That's enough to cruise in a Tesla Roadster for over 400 miles instead of its current 244 mile range.

Planar Energy Devices was spun out of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) last year and is targeting the consumer electronics and automotive markets. While they have so far only produced a few batteries for potential customers to try out, their facilities in Orlando are capable of some manufacturing capacity and their goal is to eventually do just that. Company CEO Scott Faris says, "Planar is committed to pursuing strategies for cost-effective domestic manufacturing. We recognize that the ability to design and build world-class batteries from the United States is not only possible, but also desirable if we are to achieve energy independence as we move toward an electrical energy driven economy." Sounds good to us! Get all the details in the press release after the break.

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 8, 2008) – In a licensing agreement with Policell Technologies Inc. of Metuchen, N.J., Orlando, Florida-based Planar Energy Devices Inc. (Planar) has acquired technology and manufacturing rights for a new generation of safe large format lithium ion batteries based on a breakthrough bondable nano-composite separator technology. This new cell and separator technology has a chemically engineered shutdown feature that prevent cells from triggering thermal runaway which can result in batteries catching on fire. Safely preventing thermal runaway without reducing the capacity and cycle life of lithium ion batteries has been a major technical impediment to broader use of lithium ion energy storage.

"In recent years we have seen increasing numbers of high-profile incidents where batteries catch on fire or in some cases explode," said Planar CEO Scott Faris. "The industry has reached a crossroads where traditional approaches to increasing battery capacity have also led to decreasing safety. Planar's proprietary approach enables a new generation of lithium ion batteries that address both the demands of safety and capacity in a product that can be manufactured in volume."

"As laminated flat cell structure rapidly becomes the lithium battery format of choice for many consumer applications ranging from wireless devices to Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Electric Vehicles (EV) – safety will be the major impediment to wide scale market acceptance," Faris said. "and Planar is committed to designing and manufacturing solid state batteries to address this dilemma."

Planar's new PowerBlade line of batteries deliver very high energy under heavy load, and have higher cycle life and stable cell impedance during long term cycling. Unlike the lithium ion battery separators currently used in the market, PowerBlade separator does not show any shrinkage in the battery with time or usage at high temperatures and shuts down the battery when overheated to prevent thermal runaway and battery explosion. These safety features have been verified in customer testing of large size batteries

"The built-in safety features of the proprietary separator along with the high rate capabilities make the PowerBlade lithium ion batteries an excellent solution for consumer electronics and electric vehicles," said Dr. Ethirajulu Dayalan, vice president of product development for Planar Energy Devices. Dayalan recently joined Planar Energy devices and is focused on bringing Planar's portfolio of solid storage energy products into the market.

The addition of this technology platform is part of an ongoing strategy by Planar to acquire and consolidate key technologies that enable scalable solid state energy storage products. "There are tremendous opportunities to leverage this new cell and membrane technology with Planar's portfolio of solid state electrolyte and high capacity cathode materials creating exciting future products that will allow Planar to provide higher capacity batteries without sacrificing safety" said Faris.

Planar is currently sampling PowerBlade cells to initial customers and expects to manufacture cells at its Orlando facility, making Planar one of only a handful of companies that manufacture large format lithium ion cells domestically.

According to Faris, "Planar is committed to pursuing strategies for cost-effective domestic manufacturing. We recognize that the ability to design and build world-class batteries from the United States is not only possible, but also desirable if we are to achieve energy independence as we move toward an electrical energy driven economy."

About Planar Energy Devices Inc.

Planar Energy Devices Inc. is a privately held developer of tunable solid state power storage products for commercial and consumer applications. Planar designs and manufactures energy storage products based upon a proprietary portfolio of deposition, materials and design technologies it has acquired from world-class government, academic and corporate research centers. The company combines its family of proprietary solid state electrolyte materials with high-capacity solid state cathode and anode materials to create the world's thinnest and safest high-capacity batteries that can be manufactured using proven and scalable manufacturing processes. For more information, visit www.PlanarEnergy.com.

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Anonymous

Anonymous

6 Years Ago

It's appropriate that you guys posted this on the anniversary of 9/11. If there's one thing we need, it's to stop sending a huge chunk of our GDP to the middle east each year. For me, a fully electric sedan, charged from nuclear or renewable energy plants would be just what the doctor ordered.

Anonymous

Anonymous

6 Years Ago

EEstor never had a chance to meet the energy density of standard Li-on cells. These new cells are almost twice as dense, unless they're misrepresenting their own specifications. But the short answer in either case is that EEstor cannot and will not compete with Li-on in terms of energy density.